IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL.

Delicious, healthy, and affordable come together at Meleket Restaurant, a family-owned Ethiopian-Italian restaurant in Silver Spring. Using only fresh produce, the seasonal menu at this innovative eatery features an array of tasty options.

The Timatim Fitfit takes pieces of injera and mixes it with fresh tomato, onions, green peppers, and homemade dressing. The Meleket’s Special Tibs is a savory option, marinating tender cubed lamb or beef in tomato, jalapeño, and fresh garlic. Steak lovers will want to try the Special Kitfo, an Ethiopian steak tartar seasoned with an herbed butter sauce and hot chili powder.

The bar menu at Meleket features a variety of wine, beer, martinis, and signature cocktails. The Barbados Surprise is one such cocktail — a colorful combination of grenadine, orange juice, rum, and Blue Curacao. Live jazz events are also held in the bar, adding to the relaxing environment of this one-of-a-kind restaurant. Early risers may also want to check out the breakfast menu, which is available from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m.

There's nothing better than a parade to get you in the holiday spirit, and in the DC area, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is the one you shouldn't miss. With marching bands, Bolivian dancing groups, floats, giant characters and balloons, and even Santa Claus himself, this parade has something for all ages to enjoy.
The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade takes place on Saturday, November 18 from 10 a.m. to noon, but you'll want to arrive early to secure your spot in the crowd. The parade route is from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street south down Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue.
This year the parade will also offer something new and exciting: a holiday family photo station! Get your family's portrait taken with backdrops of inflatable turkeys, penguins, Frozen's Elsa, or with Hanukkah or Christmas décor. All parade selfies marked with the hashtag
#MoCoThanksParade will be broadcast on the jumbotron at Ellsworth and Fenton along the parade route.

Across the board, customers agree that there's one
thing Kefa
Cafe really does better than any other spot in Silver Spring,
and that's coffee. Although it might not be the most well-rounded
cafe when it comes to frills like fancy creamers and syrups or baked
goods, Kefa more than makes up for this with its carefully crafted
cups of joe.

Come to the coffee shop on the first floor of the Silver Spring
Library to meet its always warm and welcoming owner and order a
pour-over. Kefa boasts beans from all over the world. Some hail from
coffee-growing regions you may know well, like Ethiopia and Colombia,
but others travel from unexpected origins such as Korea, China, and
Nepal. Order your coffee black or au lait and watch while the
shop's owner or one of her staff create your cup with great
care.